3 minute read
Victoria Azarenka and Samantha Stosur have moved closer to a quarter-final showdown after straight sets wins at the French Open.
Samantha Stosur and Victoria Azarenka have moved closer to a potential quarter-final showdown at the French Open with both coasting to straight sets wins in the second round.
Former champions Ana Ivanovic (2008) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (2009) also made it through to the third round, but Venus Williams failed in her bid to keep the family flag flying following sister Serena's shock defeat on Tuesday.
Sixth-seeded Stosur saw off Irina Falconi of the United States 6-1 6-4, while top-seeded Azarenka from Belarus defeated German qualifier Dinah Pfizenmaier 6-1 6-1.
It was a very different showing from the world number one compared to her first round struggle when she stared defeat in the face at a set and 4-0 down against Italy's Alberta Brianti before clawing her way back to win.
Up against a player who was making her Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros, Azarenka needed just 55 minutes to move through, allowing her opponent to dig her own grave with 29 unforced errors.
Azarenka won the Australian Open in January and is seeking to become the first woman since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to win the first two Grand Slam tournaments of the year.
"It was a different game for sure today," she said.
"I didn't really know my opponent and it took a few games to understand what she does.
"But after a few games I found my rhythm and definitely played much better today."
Stosur has dropped just nine games in two rounds so far at Roland Garros and she looked very comfortable against Falconi, ranked 112 in the world, who had reached the second round for the first time.
The Australian said the easy wins were no grounds for complacency with former top tenner Nadia Petrova her third round opponent.
"It's still only the third round and there is a long way to go yet before you are holding the trophy."
Also looking to put together another strong run at Roland Garros was the 2008 winner Ivanovic, who stormed past Shahar Peer of Israel 6-2 6-2.
Kuznetsova, who succeeded Ivanovic as champion in Paris, ousted Taiwan's Chan Yung-Jan 6-4 7-6 (7/4).
Williams, playing in her 15th Roland Garros, was no match for third seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, falling 6-2 6-3 to complete a miserable 24 hours for the Williams family.
Sister Serena crashed out after being a set up and 5-1 in the second set tie-break to France's Virginie Razzano.
Among the other qualifiers for the third round were rising US player Sloane Stephens, who defeated compatriot Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1 6-1, and 15th seed Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia who beat Vania King of the United States 6-0 6-2.
China's 31st seed Zheng Jie went down 6-2 6-4 to Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada, who goes on to play top seed Azarenka in the third round.
French hopes, high after Razzano's thrilling win, were given a further boost early on Wednesday with Mathilde Johansson defeating 24th-seeded Czech Petra Cetkovska 7-6 (7/1) 6-2.
But there was then heartbreak for last year's beaten semi-finalist Marion Bartoli. The French number one and eighth seed lost 6-2 3-6 6-3 to Petra Martic of Croatia.
